System and method for scalable geographic addressing framework

• US 9,363,230 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/078,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20150131499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/252, 370/256, 370/337.238
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0433 Key management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A bridge device at a first tier receives a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices. The bridge device applies a bridging function using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet. The bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet. The bridge device determines to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting geographic addressing data to devices in an area, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first bridge device at a first tier, a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices;

applying a first bridging function at the first bridge device using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet, wherein the first bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet;

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier;

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a third tier based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the third tier; and

in response to determining that the third tier is a georouter tier, transmitting the geographic addressing packet to a georouter server that decides to send the geographic addressing packet to a second bridge device using a second bridging function, wherein the second bridge device connects to a fourth tier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network and a wireless network, and the second tier is a geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a geocast tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network, and the second tier is a second georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a first geocast tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and the second tier is a second geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and the second tier is a third georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic addressing packet comprises a common operating picture update that is to be distributed to the plurality of devices, wherein the second tier comprises a non-bridge device receiving the geographic addressing packet, and wherein the non-bridge device decrypts a header of the geographic addressing packet to determine whether to send the geographic addressing packet including the common operating picture update to another device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receipt of the geographic addressing packet at the fourth tier located in the target region, distributing the geographic addressing packet by the fourth tier to the plurality of devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic addressing packet is secured by a shared session key encryption system administered by a field security administrator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to the second tier is in response to the first bridging function returning a true response.

10. An apparatus for transmitting geographic addressing data to devices in an area comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a first bridge device at a first tier, a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices;

applying a first bridging function at the first bridge device using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet, wherein the first bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet;

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier;

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a third tier based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the third tier; and

in response to determining that the third tier is a georouter tier, transmitting the geographic addressing packet to a georouter server that decides to send the geographic addressing packet to a second bridge device using a second bridging function, wherein the second bridge device connects to a fourth tier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network and a wireless network, and the second tier is a geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a geocast tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network, and the second tier is a second georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a first geocast tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and the second tier is a second geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communication network, and the second tier is a third georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the geographic addressing packet comprises a common operating picture update that is to be distributed to the plurality of devices, wherein the second tier comprises a non-bridge device receiving the geographic addressing packet, and wherein the non-bridge device decrypts a header of the geographic addressing packet to determine whether to send the geographic addressing packet including the common operating picture update to another device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to the second tier is in response to the first bridging function returning a true response.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

after receipt of the geographic addressing packet at the fourth tier located in the target region, distributing the geographic addressing packet by the fourth tier to the plurality of devices.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for transmitting geographic addressing data to devices in an area, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a first bridge device at a first tier, a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices;

applying a first bridging function at the first bridge device using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet, wherein the first bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet;

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier;

determining to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a third tier based on the first bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the third tier; and

in response to determining that the third tier is a georouter tier, transmitting the geographic addressing packet to a georouter server that decides to send the geographic addressing packet to a second bridge device using a second bridging function, wherein the second bridge device connects to a fourth tier.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first tier is a second georouter tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network and a wireless network, and the second tier is a geocast tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first tier is a geocast tier comprising the first bridge device, wherein the first bridge device communicates via a mobile communications network, and the second tier is a second georouter tier comprising devices that communicate via a wireless network.